Potato-planter



(No Model.) I v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. L. GOOD.

POTATQ PLANTER.

No. 518,141. Patented Apr. 10, 189 4.

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T. L. GOOD.

POTATO PLANTER.

No. 518,141. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

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4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS LELAND GOOD, OF WANDA, ILLINOIS.

POTATO-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,141, dated April10, 1894.

Application dMay 29, 1893. Serial No. 475,991. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, THOMAS LELAND G001), a citizen of the United States,residing at Wanda, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and Improved Check-Row Potato-Planter, of which thefollowing isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to the class of which have a force feed mechanism.

The objects of myinvention are to provide an improved two rowpotatoplanter with an accurate check-row mechanism; to provide suchplanter with a very secure and steady main frame and carrying wheels,whereby jarring and bounding of the machine during use will, in a greatmeasure, be prevented; and, finally, to provide a machine of this classwith an improved force-feed dropping-mechanism, whereby fresh hand-cutseed-potatoes may be positively fed and planted regardless of theirpropensity to adhere to the contiguous parts of the mechanism.

planters In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machineembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan-view of the hopper and adjacent parts, detachedfrom the frame of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of afeed-disk shaft and parts carried thereby;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional side-elevation of a portion of the bottomof the hopper, and feedmechanism contained therein. Fig. 5 is a similarview to the last, with same parts in different relative positions.

I prefer building my improved planter with two frames, a lower couplingframe a and an upper frame I), which are each composed of suitable side,end and intermediate bars. The lower frame is provided with two rearcarrying-wheelsY and at least one forward carrying-wheel, such as Z, allof which are located so far apart that the main-frame and parts carriedthereby will move above the ground a great deal more smoothly than itwould if only two ground wheels were employed, and much jarring andbounding of the machine during use will be prevented, in

a manner readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Of course the wheels which carry the machine, as well asthe frame, maybe of either iron or wood, or part wood and part iron.

A suitable marker q, of any approved form, is attached to one of theside-bars of the lower frame aby means of common staples or hooks, so asto mark the ground, in a manner well known.

A pole or tongue f is attached to the front portion of the machine, andis provided with the usual draftattachments. This tongue may beconnected, in any known manner, to the front cross-bar d of the lowerframe.

As my improved machine is designed to plant two rows at same time, it isprovided with two complete sets of seeding or feedingmechanism, one ofwhich is located at one side of the machine and one at the opposite sidethereof.

As the mechanism on both sides of the machine is identical, in allessential particulars,

I will limit my description to the mechanism on one side.

R indicates a furrow-opening shovel, which is secured to the machinedirectly in advance of the seed-chute. Directly in rear of theseed-chute are two covering-shovels T, the faces'of which are set atabout a right-angle to each other, as shown, so that as the machine is'moved forward said shovels will form a ridge of earthover each row ofpotatoes that is deposited. Said shovels are of common'construction, andhave their beams secured together in pairs and attached to an iron rodor bar 2 extending across the rear'of the machine, so that the shovelsmay be raised and lowered simultaneously, by means of any of thewell-known hand-levers, such as U, which is connected to said beams forsuch purpose. Secured in position on top of the side-bars of the upperframe, at the front and rear ends thereof, are blocks 0 of wood, andmounted on each'of said blocks .is a grooved guide-pulley W, under whichthe check-row wire 0 passes. There is also mounted on saidblocks,in-suitable brackets, *a small bar X, which acts to support saidwire during operation. The pulleys and bars just .described, are setrelative to the frame in longitudinal alignment with each other.

I make use of what may be termed asingle large hopper, formed into twosmaller ones. This hopper has bottom-plates I, I, which are inclinedfrom the center outward and downward to points adjacent the outer sidesof the hopper, so that when seed are placed on said plates they willgravitate toward said outer sides. The hopper is mounted on two sidebars6 on the upper frame, and extends laterally in the space between theouter sidebars of said frame. The hopper is provided with a single cover3, which extends above and over the inclined -plates I, I of eachdivision of the hopper. Formed in the bottom of the hopper,at the baseof the inclinedplate I, is an opening H. Formed in the bar 6 and locatedbelow the opening H, is a similar opening, which registers with theopening 4 firstmentioned.

G represents a 1nain-shaft,which extends across both divisions of thehopper, through opposite sides and through openings 5 in both inclinedplates I I thereof, and is provided with suitable bearings in theside-bars of the upper frame I). This shaft drives the feedmechanism forboth divisions of the hopper. A, A, designate two gear-wheels fixed onsaid shaft G exterior of the hopper, one adjacent each side thereof.

13, B, designate radial forked-arms secured to the gear-wheels A, A, soas to be engaged by the check-row wire, in the usual manner duringoperation. The forked arms of each gear-wheel are, in longitudinalalignment with the rollersW and bars X, that are on the same side of themachine.

E indicatesa feed-disk-shaft which extends across the machine directlybeneath and parallel to the main shaft G, through the side bars e, andis provided with any suitable bearings in which it may revolve. Thisshaft E is provided at its opposite ends with pinions D, which mesh withsaid gear wheels A.

The main shaft G extends above and across the openings H of bothdivisions of the hopper. (See Fig. 2.) Short stirring pins 6 are passedthrough suitable openings 7 in the main shaft G and are located onedirectly above each opening H, for the purpose of agitating the potatoeslocatedin each division of the hopper.

P P designate two feed-disks having l shaped grooves 8 in theirperipheries and fixed upon the feed-disk-shaft E, one adjacent each endthereof so as to revolve therewith. These feed-disks are each providedwith two pointed projections F, which extend parallel from theperipheries of the said disks for a purpose hereinafter mentioned. Oneof these feed-disks is located in the opening or slot 4 in one of theside bars 2, and the other feed-disk is located in the like opening orslot of the other side bar 6 on the opposite side of the machine. (SeeFigs. 4 and 5.) Pivotally mounted one in each of the openings or slotsjust mentioned, and ata point in the rear of each feed-disk, is anoscillating finger K. Said finger K is pivoted at a point about midwayof its length upon a pin or bolt 9 so that its front end projects in thepath of the projections F of the contiguous feed-disk P. The front endof said finger K normally rests in contact with the periphery of saidfeed-disk, in which position it is clearly shown in Fig. 5. A spring Mof any suitable material has its rear end secured to the side bar 6 inthe rear of said finger K, so that its front end projects free and restsbeneath the rear end of said finger, so as to press against the same,which causes its front end to normally rest in contact with theperiphery of the contiguous feed disk. Pivotally mounted in the forwardportion of said opening or slot in the said side bar e, upon a pin orbolt 10 in advance of the feed disk in said opening, is another fingerL, the rear upper corner of which is provided with a. rectangular recessor offset 11, and the rear end of which is normally located as closelyadjacent as possible to the periphery of said feed disk P. The rear endof said finger L is adapted to be depressed by engagement therewith ofthe projections F of said feed disk, and to have its forward endcorrespondingly elevated. But the normal position of said finger is thatwhich it occupies in Fig. 4. The

front end of the finger L may be seen in Fig.

1 just in front of the hopper. Said finger L is returned to its normalposition by means of a curved spring N, one end of which is secured ontop of the side bar c at a point just in advance of the opening orslottherein, and the opposite end of which engages said finger. (See Figs. 4and 5.)

J J indicate two vertical posts which are located one in each divisionof the hopper, next adjacent to the front end thereof. These posts havesuch a length that their lower ends rest upon each of the fingers L andactto prevent the seed potatoes from collecting under the front edge ofthe hopper. The upper'ends of said posts project some distance above thehopper, and the projecting portions thereof are provided with transverseslots 12 which are engaged bya small horizontal bar or rod, 13 securedat about midway of its length to the front of the hopper. Thisarrangement forms an effective guide for the said posts, retaining themat all times in the position above described. It is evident that theirlower ends will be held in contact with the fingers L, by the action ofgravity.

0 designates a scraper or disconnector which is formed of a flat stripof steel or other metal having a straight body, and its front end curvedupward at 14. This scraper is located in the opening or slot in the sidebar e beneath its finger K, and has its rear end secured to the saidside bar, and its curved front end 14 located in the peripheral-groove 8of the adjacent feed-disk P, said curved portion corresponding to thecontour of said feed disk.

S indicates the seed-chute, the upper end of which is secured by anycommon fastenings to the under side of the side bar e, directly beneathfeed disk P at a point in the rear of the furrow-opening shovel R, andin advance of the covering shovels T.

The front supporting wheels are preferably of smaller size than .therear wheels so that they may be located under the frame of the machine,wherebythe machine may be turned short at the end of a row.

The operation is as follows:The check-row wire 0 should be stretchedacross the field in the usual manner, and placed over the small bars, X,at front and rear of the machine, and under the grooved rollers W, anddropped into the forks of the forked-arms B. Seed potatoes should beplaced in both divisions of the hopper and the cover closed down. Allthe shovels T should be lowered so that they may engage the ground,which may be accomplished by pulling the hand-lever U backward. Thefunction of the marker q is substantially the same as usual, and needsno description. As the machine is drawn forward toward the right hand inFig, 1, the main shaft G and the parts fixed thereto will be revolved inthe direction indicated by the arrow, and the stirring pins 6 carried bysaid shaft will agitate the potatoes at the bottom of the hopper andenable them to drop through the openings H onto the fingers K and L. Thegear-wheels A will cause the feed-disk-shaft E, to be revolved inthe'direction opposite to that in which the shaft G moves. The pointedprojections F carried by the feed-disks engage the potatoes and forcethem down through the offset or recess 11 in the rear ends of thefingers L into engagement with the curved ends of the scrapers O, whichdetach the potatoes from said projections and cause them to drop intothe seed chutes which are directly beneath, whence theypass into thefurrows made by the furrowopening shovels, and are immediatelythereafter covered by the covering shovels. It will be seen that therear fingers K and the springs M prevent the downward passage of theseed potatoes in the rear of the feed-disks, and that the front fingersLprevent such passage in front of saidfeed-disks except as hereinafterdescribed.

The mechanism of my improved machine is comparatively simple, and by ittwo rows are planted simultaneously.

A drivers seat Vof any common construction is applied to the rearportion of the machine, so that the hand-lever U may be conthe bottomthereof at the base of said plates pying such seat.

What I claim as new is 1. In a potato-planter, the combination of aframe supported on wheels, a single seedhopper mounted on saidfraine,bottom plates I, I, fixed in said hopper and inclinedfrom thecenter thereof downward and outward, said hopper having openings Hformed in 7 I, I, a main shaft G which extends across the hopper througheachof said inclined plates I, I, and through opposite sides of thehopper, short stirring-pins passed through openings in ,said mainshaft'and projecting at right angles on opposite sides thereof directlyabove each of the openings H, forcefeed devices located directly beneatheach of said openings and constructed to force seed potatoes downwardinto seed-chutes located beneath them, mechanism for operating saidforce-feed devices, f urrow-opening shovels connected with said frame,and the forked arms B for imparting movement to said shaft G andoperating said stirring-pins as the machine is movedforward,'substantiaily as herein specified.

2. In a potato-planter, the combination of a frame, a hopper located onsaid frame and extending across the same, said hopper having openingsformed in the bottom thereof, a feed-disk-shaft, E, feed-disks P, P,fixed on said shaft E, one beneath each ofthe openings in thehopper andhaving LJ-shaped grooves in their peripheries, said feed-disks eachhaving two pointed projections E which extend parallel from theperipheries of said disks, an oscillating finger K pivotally mounted inthe rear of each of said feed-disks so that its front end is normally incontact with the periphery of the adjacent feed disk, springs which holdthe fingers in the positionjust mentioned, and a finger L pivotallymounted in front of each feed-disk and having a rectangular recess oroffset in its rear upper corner, and the rear end of which is normallylocated closely adjacent the periphery of the contiguous feed-disk, sothat the rear end of this finger will be depressed by engagementtherewith of the projections F of no the contiguous feed-disk and haveits forward end correspondingly elevated, a spring N which returns saidfinger L to its normal position after its rear end has been depressed,and proper operative connections, substantially as herein specified.

THOMAS LELAND GOOD. Witnesses:

ELIHU VANOOURT, JAMES THOMAS GLAs.

